1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detergent container of a washing machine, more particularly, which is capable of supplying powdered detergent mixed with water to a tub without suspending, by preventing a drain passage of the detergent container from clogging due to powdered detergent stored in the detergent container.
2. Description of the Related Art
A washing machine is to decontaminate dirt on clothes or bedding (hereinafter referred as “laundry”) contained in a drum. It cleans laundry through washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying.
FIG. 1 shows a drum-type washing machine having a detergent container based on the prior art, and FIG. 2 shows the detergent container which stores a large quantity of powdered detergent based on the prior art.
The conventional drum-type washing machine comprises a cabinet 2 which defines an outer appearance of the washing machine, a tub 4 mounted in the cabinet 2, the drum 6 rotatably set in the tub 4 to wash laundry, a plurality of lifters 8 placed in an inner side of the drum 6, which lifts up laundry to fall from predetermined height by gravity, and a motor (not shown) installed in a rear of the tub 4 to generate power (see FIG. 1).
A front cover 10 is mounted on a front of the cabinet 2, and a door 12 is set on the front cover 10.
A top plate 14 is placed on a top of the cabinet 2, and a control panel 11 to manipulate the washing machine is placed between the top plate 14 and the front cover 10. A water supplier 20 and a detergent supply apparatus 30 are installed in a top side of the cabinet 2.
The water supplier 20 includes a plurality of water supply valves 24 to control water supplied through an external hose 22, a plurality of water supply hoses 26 to guide water through the water supply valve 24 to the detergent supply apparatus 30, and a bellows tube 28 to guide water and detergent through the detergent supply apparatus 30 to the inside of the tub 4.
The detergent supply apparatus 30 includes a housing 32 connected to the bellows tube 28, the detergent container 40 inserted into the housing 32, and a dispenser 34 installed in a top of the housing 32 and connected to the water supply hose 26 to supply water to the detergent container 40.
After laundry is loaded in the drum 6 and detergent is accommodated in the detergent container 40, water is supplied by the water supplier 20. Detergent is mixed in water through the detergent supply apparatus 30, and is supplied to the tub 4. As soon as a predetermined quantity of water and detergent is filled in the tub 4, the drum 6 is rotated to wash, rinse and dehydrate.
The conventional detergent container 40 comprises a powdered detergent chamber 42 which stores powdered detergent, a detergent chamber 46 having an outlet 44 to discharge detergent in the powdered detergent chamber 42 together with water, which is open at its rear, and a subsidiary detergent chamber 48 located in a side of the outlet 44 to store agents, e.g. bleach and fabric softner (see FIG. 2).
The subsidiary detergent chamber 48 is parted from a bottom of the detergent chamber 46 by predetermined distance to provide a drain passage 49 of water and detergent between the powdered detergent chamber 42 and the outlet 44.
When water is supplied to the powdered detergent chamber 42 from the dispenser 34, powdered detergent with water passes the drain passage 49, drains to the housing 32 through the outlet 44, and then gets to the tub 4 through the bellow tube 28.
In the conventional detergent container of the washing machine, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when excessive powdered detergent is put in the powdered detergent chamber 42, even though water is supplied, the powdered detergent comes to clog an entrance of the drain passage 49, thus water and detergent cannot drain from the detergent container 40.
As the drain passage 49 gets clogged by detergent and water supply is continued, water mixed with detergent comes to flow over the detergent chamber 42, and flows to the subsidiary detergent chamber 48. Then, water flows backward to the dispenser 34, while a lot of bubbles are arisen.